We, the Sisters of St. Benedict of Ferdinand, Indiana, are monastic women seeking God through the Benedictine tradition of community life, prayer, hospitality, and service to others. By our life and work, we commit ourselves to be a presence of peace as we join our sisters and brothers in the common search for God.

Sunday, October 23, 2016

Reflection: Luke 18:1-8

The 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Luke 18:1-8

In today’s Gospel, we hear the familiar parable
about the necessity of praying always. There are two characters in this
parable: a widow and a judge. Luke writes: “There was a judge who neither
feared God nor respected any human being.” It sounds like this judge was
a law unto himself. The image Luke presents of the judge is not a
favorable one.

A widow in the town came to the judge and said
to him: “Render a just decision for me against my adversary.” Luke does
not give us any of the details of what had transpired between the widow and her
adversary. However, Luke makes it clear that the judge did not want to
render judgment in this case.

The judge put the widow off several times.
However, the woman persisted. She would not let the judge rest.
Finally the judge realized that if he wanted any peace in his life, he
would have to make a just decision in the widow’s case. He was concerned
that if he did not make a fair judgment, the widow might come and strike him.

How persistent are we with God? If I need
or desire a gift, a healing, or a sense of peace from God, how persistent am I?
How persistent are you? Are we willing to patiently wait for God to
act? We know that God is not a vending machine. However, at times, I
approach God as I would a vending machine. I come and place my petitions
before God and then hope I receive an answer. God is not a vending machine; God’s
timing is not our timing.

Perhaps the question for us is: Do I truly
believe that God is with me? Do I trust that God hears my prayers and my
longings? Do I trust that God will grace me? I doubt that anyone of
us truly wants a “vending machine God.” Thus, are we willing to trust and
believe in our God who loves us? Today (and every day) God is gifting us
and gracing us! May we have the eyes, minds, and hearts to recognize the
many ways God will grace us today.